


Family Albums

by fleetfoot221



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Season/Series 10 Finale, Angst, Character Death, Lots of memories, Photographs, Sad, Season/Series 10, Spoilers, did I mention it was sad, made to cope with finale, references to dead characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-19
Updated: 2015-09-19
Packaged: 2018-04-21 13:45:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4831262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fleetfoot221/pseuds/fleetfoot221
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean knows he's not going to live very much longer.  He's leaving, and this time for good.  But before his fate catches up with him he wishes to share one last secret, a secret he's carried for a very long time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What is and What Should Never Be

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a (long) while ago during the build-up to the season 10 finale. At the time I was convinced that Dean was going to die....so I jotted this down as a fail-safe, things can still be okay type story. (Not that anyone would ever be okay without Dean but I was really scared for my baby okay?) I'm not a very good writer and my writing style for this fic might be a bit strange but it made me feel better and now I've found the confidence to post it... so there. Feels attack ahead, you have been warned.

Dean was babysitting Claire Novak in the Bunker. Cas and Sam had gone out for a supply run. Dean and Claire got to talking and Dean, knowing of his impending fate, decides to share with Claire one of his most well-guarded secrets.

 

For essentially his entire life Dean had been collecting photographs and stashing them away. Though the “collecting” may also at many times been more like “pocketing”. Photos like the ones of his parents, of him and his mom, the only family portrait. The photos and letters given back to them when they did that case forever ago at their old house. Some he’d taken from Bobby. Even one of Karen and Bobby’s wedding. Pictures of him and Sammy as kids that Bobby had taken over the years. A secret copy of the family photo -Cas, Sam, Dean, Bobby in his wheelchair, Jo and Ellen- that hurt to look too long at after Ellen and Jo’s Death. Photos of Jody’s that he ‘salvaged’, a few old photos of Jo and Ellen -the pigtails were adorable-, a few that Garth took and a few of Benny with his granddaughter. One where Bobby was splitting a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue with Rufus. That old booking photo of Charlie, a good number from Moondoor of the Queen and her loyal handmaidens. Photos of Kevin and Mrs. Tran that Dean liberated. Even ones of Adam and John. And at least one of Sam, Dean and Adam. Some of the photos aren’t even of “family members”, they are photos of people Sam and Dean saved.

All those photos, all those memories (he’d saved other things too, the postcard from Claire’s mom along with a formal family portrait of the Novaks from before and plenty of other paper memories like Sammy’s grade-school report cards, “He always was a bright kid”, Dean’s wrestling award with a picture of him and Sonny and other little things like that) Dean had saved together in an album-like scrap-book thing, not unlike John’s journal - full of notes, names, places and wisdom. Even a few ticket stubs from notable dates.

He swore Claire to secrecy -for now- about it’s existence and brought it out to show her. Claire was confused at first by the strange book, but without much preamble Dean flipped it open and began: “This - is Mary Winchester….” And told Claire of every person, of every lost friend and family member, every happy story and inside joke scribbled on it’s pages. He looked a little sheepish when he got to the photos of the Novaks and began wiggling them out to return them, but Claire stopped him. “Keep them, they look good here, they should stay.” Dean smiled softly in thanks.

Dean talked for a long time and Claire hung off his every word. When he finished he asked her to look after this book when he was gone. To show it to Sammy someday and Cas. He asked for her to remember all these people and memories in his stead - they couldn’t just be lost, forgotten. He also asked for her to add to it, once he’d gone. She promised.

He packed the book away and changed to a lighter mood. Claire pulled him into a hug. She tucked her chin into his chest and he kissed her on the top of her head.

“Caddyshack?”

“Caddyshack.”

“Such a Grandpa.”

Dean laughs.

\-----------------------------------------------

Dean snores lightly as the credits roll. Claire is asleep as well, tucked into her side of the couch, her mouth curled into a slight smile.

The sight of them sleeping peacefully makes Sam and Cas grin. Cas’s foot catches on a table leg and rattles it slightly. Claire wakes instantly at the noise and sits up quickly. She rolls her eyes at the “intruder” and kicks Dean awake. Dean snorts and stretches languidly. Rolling his stiff shoulders.

“You’re back?”

“Yes, we have returned.”

Claire smiled at Cas’s unfailing blunt speech. Sam chuckled as well.

“Bedtime?” The ridiculously tall man asked sarcastically. Dean gave him his best fake chuckle and let Cas pull him upright. Everyone was smiling.

\-----------------------------------------------

Jody sat at the Bunker’s library table. “I can’t believe he’s really gone.”

Sam and Cas didn’t answer her. Sam sat with his face haggard and his arms loosely folded. His hair horribly mussed, he wouldn’t stop pulling at it every few moments, like some villain from the old Saturday morning cartoons. Cas stared somberly into space. Unaware and uncaring. The look of blank misery on his face was gut-wrenching.

Claire came into the room and Cas attempted to brighten for her sake. There was something tucked under her arm. She had an air of determination about her and refused to falter as she approached the three adults in mourning. She mourned the loss of Dean as well, but had hidden it, teenager style, deep within herself, until she could cope. Before that, there was something she had to do. Something important.

Claire plunked the worn book down in front of Jody. Sam leaned over slightly, his damp eyes confused at the appearance of the unfamiliar book. Cas leaned in too, curious as to what his adopted daughter had decided to show them.

She took a deep breath and opened the book. Sam’s breath caught in his throat. She pointed to the blond woman in the first photograph. “This is Mary Winchester….”

 

For Claire.   
Keep Safe.  
Take care of them.  
-D.W.


	2. Photographs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Claire.  
> Keep Safe.  
> Take care of them.  
> -D.W.

For Claire.  
Keep Safe.  
Take care of them.  
-D.W.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, I'm missing a lot of the photos.....think you guys can help me out?
> 
> Here are some of the canonical (and maybe less canonical) photographs that I was able to find on sort of short notice. If anyone has better copies or more photos they think I should add, even photoshopped masterpieces, find a way to send them to me and I will add them as soon as possible. Thanks for reading, hope you liked some part of this. <3
> 
> (you can find me on tumblr if you'd like..... still just fleetfoot221).


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